Florida

Newtown Vigil Honors Victims of Parkland Shooting

Students in Newtown know all too well the pain caused by a school shooting, and that’s why Friday they held a candlelight vigil for the victims of the nation’s latest school shooting in Parkland, Florida.

In addition to remembering the 17 lives lost when a gunman entered Stoneman Douglas High School, students who organized the event say this shooting is a call to action to bring about and end to gun violence in American schools.

At the vigil the names of people killed in mass shootings since the Sandy Hook massacre were read as students, teachers and members of the Newtown community lit candles in their honor.

The event was organized by the Junior Newtown Action Alliance. Organizer Jackson Mittleman, a junior at Newtown High School, says he and many of his peers feel galvanized by the activism being shown by the students in Parkland.

“You’ve inspired so many people around this country to make this kind of change. We’re not going to stop. We understand what you’re doing,” he said about the group’s efforts to call for reform in gun laws and school safety.

Contact Us